


Bloodline

by LoveLikeHeaven



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Achievement Hunters, Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto Setting, Fake AH Crew, Fluff and Angst, GTA AU, Gen, Humor, Kidnapping, Multi, OT6, Violence, if you look hard - Freeform, ish, kind off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 22:38:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14555058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveLikeHeaven/pseuds/LoveLikeHeaven
Summary: When Ryan is kidnapped by an old rival he contemplates on his start in the Fake AH Crew and what they mean to him.Now edited!





	Bloodline

**Author's Note:**

> Modified lyrics from Just The Two Of Us by Bill Withers.

_Just the six of us,_

_We can make it if we tried_

_Just the six of us,_

_Building castles in the sky_

_Just the six of us, Live or Die…_

\---

They were notorious. To those unfortunate enough to have had a run in with them, police and criminals alike, they were the monster hiding in your closet and the reason you slept with a gun. To those outside the city, to all the petty criminals aspiring to be more than the town pickpocket, they were a legend, a fantasy, the Greek gods of the crime world. But before they were a series of seemingly fictitious stories told in the backs of dingy bars at three in the morning, they were nobody's. Whether by some sort of nefarious higher power or a completely random chain of events, six people who would be nothing more than a minor inconvenience to the local police officers of their respective areas came together to create a crazed empire so disdainful and magnificent the entirety of Los Angeles knew their names.

The thing that made them especially unique though, was their friendship and loyalty to each other. Nowhere else in the world would you find a group of people so devoted to each other they would just as soon risk their own lives, as well as the lives of the people around them if it meant keeping the others safe. They definitely didn’t start out that way though, for the coming together of the crew is an intertwining web of tales. Tales where “Who are you again?” turned into “How could I ever forget about you.” and the threat of “I’ll kill you” became “I’ll kill anyone for you”. The Crew’s first encounters with each other are a myriad of unusual events that range from saved your ass in a bar fight to “Are you trying to rob me?”, but none as unusual as when the crew met Ryan.

\---

It was the middle of the night and the sky had reached a shade blue so dark it was almost black. The various street lamps scattered around acted like guiding spirits in the small street between two medium height buildings. On the ground, small pools of water from rainfall earlier that day had accumulated. On any other night, a walk down a street like this would be considered whimsical. Unfortunately, the tranquility of the place could not be enjoyed over the gunshots and police sirens that drowned out everything else.

The plan was simple: get inside, blow the safe, and escape on the backs of two motorcycles with half a million dollars stuffed into two duffel bags. The bank was located on the edge of the city, and far enough away from any police station that they didn't really have to worry about running into any cops. The job was perfect, especially for a new and upcoming group with only four members. Weeks of planning had given birth to a plan titled “A Brit, a Delinquent, and a Fat Guy Walk into a Bank”. Gavin, Michael, and Jack were to break in, and while Gavin hacks the security system, Jack and Michael head toward the safe. After the security is down, Gavin heads out the bank to an alleyway across the street where Geoff is waiting with the getaway vehicles. Their job was to provide cover fire in case they ran into trouble. Inside the bank, Jack focused on cracking the safe while Michael watched his back. The plan was equivalent to hitting on a drunk girl at a college party, simple, easygoing, and a guaranteed success. There was just one small, microscopic factor that they didn't count on.

See they weren't so much an established crew as they were a group of people butting in on another crew’s territory. When Geoff contacted the weapons dealer, he naturally assumed word would get out about their heist, but he never imagined another gang would go through the trouble of alerting the local authorities. And for what, four people who can barely rob a bank?

It all happened so fast. One minute Michael was leaning against the doorway to the vault complaining in a cynical voice about how he "didn't know how robbing a bank could possibly be so boring". The next thing he knows him, Jack, Geoff, and Gavin are trapped in the street around the corner. While Gavin and Michael were holed up behind two dumpsters, Jack and Geoff took cover behind an exploded police car. This was the end for them. They had cops on both side, and their ammo nearing zero. This is where they were going to die, in a dirty alley in the middle of the night in a city where no one knew their names.

Just when they had given up hope, over the shouting and the bullets popping they heard... a laugh? Not just any laugh, but the most bone chilling laugh you can imagine. A laugh that if heard could convince you that you were really in hell. It bounced off every surface, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Suddenly, one by one the police officers dropped. Each with a single perfect bullet to the head. The crew stared in awe as the last one dropped right before their eyes. They all practically jumped out of their skin as they heard one last “ha” coming from behind them. They turned around and saw the devil himself. He was wearing black jeans, blue and black leather jacket, and to finish it all off, a mask shaped like a skull completely encased his head. No one moved as the skull turned in their direction and spoke in a slightly disgruntled voice.

“Hello.”

\---

_Good things might come to those who wait,_

_Not to those who wait too late,_

_We gotta go for all we know…_

_\---_

“Ugggh…” a small moan escaped his lips as he woke to a splitting headache and sharp pain in his side. _Did I get stabbed?_ Before he even opened his eyes, he could tell he was sitting up and bound to a chair. There was sweat pouring down his back, the nausea of being knocked out and the bag over his head combining to make it feel like a thousand degrees. The room smelled terrible like human remains and garbage. From across the room he could just make out the sound of people whispering. As he turned toward the sound all talking ceased.

“Well, Well, Well, looks like our little friend is awake.”

 _Not. good._ He could recognize that obnoxious southern accent anywhere. Malachi was the leader of a gang of criminals who pretty much ruled the entirety of the south of Georgia. About five years ago, he had infiltrated their operation and made it seem like he was there to help. At the last second, he double crossed them killed everyone involved, and took the money for himself. Or at least he thought he killed everyone. He made a mental note to double check that nobody was alive the next time he did something like that.

His thoughts were interrupted as the hood covering his head was ripped off, the one light above him burned his eyes.

“What,” questioned Malachi “Not gonna say hello to your good ol’ friend? Shoot, and I’d thought we’d had something special.”

“Well I’m sorry,” he apologized playing up his own accent. The sound of fake sympathy dripping off his words like thick maple syrup. “I would have thought me murdering all your associates and leaving you penniless would have been bad times, but if you liked it I would be happy to do it again sometime.” He could tell his already agitated capture was becoming even more vexed with every word that came out of his mouth.

Unsurprisingly, the butt of a gun came up from Malachi’s side and smack him right in the jaw. He grimaced as the metallic taste of blood swam around in his mouth. Malachi then turned to the two henchmen waiting by the door. “Our friend here looks a little hot. Maybe some time in the freezer will cool him down a bit and give him some time to think about his options and relearn the manners I know his momma taught him.” One guy pointed a gun at him while the other placed another bag over his head. Then they both dragged him out of the room, going out of their way to make it as un-enjoyable as possible.

The freezer was well... freezing. So cold, in fact, that he had a feeling that after a couple of hours he would become one become another one of the unidentifiable lumps in the room he could only guess were people who had been in the same situation. How could he have been so stupid. Going out in the middle of the night. Not telling anyone where he was going, or even that he left. He was slacking, getting too comfortable. What would the guys say?

As he thought, the combination of the cold, headache, and general it being three in the morning caused him to drift off.

\---

_I am. Alone. Always. Alone._

_I am not meant to have friends, I am not meant to have a family, or a crew, or anything. I do not need one. I do not need it because I am the vagabond, the myth, the legend, the mad king with a cracked crown atop his head, that is what they say at least. My blood flows with the exhilaration and anticipation of the last bank I robbed, the last knife I wielded, that last trigger I pulled. Just me, myself, and I, that is what keeps me going, that is what keeps me strong, that is what will keep me at the top. I rule everything. This is my city._

\---

“So…”

It had been about a week since the crew had their asses saved from being swiss cheese by the man now sitting on the couch in their quaint apartment. The situation could almost be mistaken for comical as the man dressed in his dark attire and skull mask sat on a couch that looked way too small for him. It was like having a business meeting with the god of death.

From the kitchen, Jack came in carrying a tray with five cups of coffee and set it down on the table in the middle of the room. After handing a cup to everyone he takes a seat on the couch to the left of the man. The man looks down at the coffee in his hands and then turns his head toward Jack.

“Well it _looks_ delicious” he deadpans.

Across the room, to the left of the man sitting on a smaller couch, Michael and Gavin giggle quietly to themselves. In a chair to the right of the man, Geoff looks disapprovingly at them as he clears his throat.

“Ahem, uh, so, Mr., uh, Mad King sir,” Geoff starts with a slight squeak in his voice.

“I'm just gonna stop you there,” interrupted the man with a flippant tone to his voice. “I will not, under any circumstances join your crew. However, because I feel that without some guidance I would no doubt be forced to help you out of another unfavorable situation, I would be willing to give you a few pointers.”

The room is silent while Geoff thinks. “Ok” Geoff argues “but you have also help us pull a heist. Nothing too big just enough to get us back on our feet.”

After a few seconds of heavy silence Geoff interjects “If you do this we will never bother you again.” More silence as the man thinks, the mask on his head not giving way to any emotions. Once again Geoff cuts through the silence. “We’ll pay you a considerable amount of money.” The mood in the room changed almost instantly, and the skull mask itself seemed to smile.

The man stood up to shake Geoff’s hand, “Deal.”

“Well, we look forward to doing business with you Mr. King” said Geoff while motioning to the other guys. As the man stood there looking around at the other guys in the room, he had a sudden feeling that what was happening in this exact moment was right, like he was meant to be here. He didn’t know what possessed him to say so, maybe it was that feeling or maybe it was the amused looks on everyone’s faces when Geoff called him Mr. King, but he surprised the guys and himself when he announced.

“It’s Ryan actually.”

\---

“ _Aw man_ this paint is everywhere. My clothes are completely ruined!” Gavin’s high-pitched whine could be heard all the way down the block.

“GAVIN, SHUT UP! You're the one who decided to chuck your grenade at barrels of paint instead of the people trying to kill us!” Michael screamed as they walked down the street to their apartment.

“Yea,” interjected Jack “You don't get to complain considering Ryan is the one who got completely drenched in paint.” In a ridiculously high voice and a highly offensive English accent Jack mocks Gavin. “Oi, so oopset tha ai got pain’ on me clothes.” Michael and Jack break out into fits of laughter as Gavin screams at the top of his lungs

“THESE WERE A BLOODY BRAND NEW PAIR OF JEANS!”

Quiet up until now Geoff also screams, “WOULD EVERYONE STOP YELLING!”

At the back of the group Ryan laughs at the situation in front of him while trying to ignore the sticky paint that covers his entire body and a great deal of his mask.

“Now, when we get home we're all going to sit down and go over everything that we did right and everything we did wrong” Geoff says, his voice calmer than before.

“What's even the point?” Gavin groans, “We've already pulled three successful heists.”

Ryan hums, “Ya know, I would really, really love to have that discussion, but I'd much rather go and change out of these clothes.”

“Ryan, I know you're all obsessed with being this really mysterious murder-y guy and everything, but we've pulled three heists together even after you promised not to help us anymore. I'm pretty sure that makes us friends. Why don’t you come back to our place and change there, and then maybe we could I don't know hang out or something.”

Michael chimed in, “Yea, we're your friends you can't not talk to us forever.”

“Friends…?” Friends, huh, Ryan quite liked to sound of that, friends. He had never really had friends before. “Yea, ok, I guess that sounds alright.” answered Ryan. The mood turned vivacious as the group all started talking simultaneously talked about how excited and surprised they were that Ryan had agreed and how great the night was going to be.

In the three and a half months since he has met Geoff, Jack, Michael, and Gavin there have been a lot of firsts in Ryan’s life. The first time he helped someone purely out of the kindness of his heart, the first time he told anyone his name, the first time he let someone in his line of work see his face, the first time he had friends. Little did he know that he would have another first, one that he thought he never could have. From joining the crew, to the times they pulled heists, and the welcoming of their new member Jeremy, whether they were engaging in the most ridiculous of activities or simply hanging around playing video games, Ryan, for the first time, got to experience what it was like to have a family.

\---

 _Boom! Crash!_ The sounds of nearby explosions and shaking of the room were enough to wake him. It sounded like a fight was going on. _It couldn’t be,_ he thought, but then he heard the crazy battle cry of Jeremy “HUP BUB UP HUP HAWWW!”. He smiled, and a million thoughts rushed through his head. _I can’t believe they’re here. How did they find me? I gotta get out of here._ As he heard the sounds of combat get closer, he started banging on the sides of the room and screaming as loud as he could. He fingers scraped to cold hard metal of the walls, his skin threatening to break.

He was almost completely blown to the other side of the room as an explosion knocked the door off the hinges to the room he was in. When he looked up he saw Jeremy and Michael standing in the doorway.

“Ryan!” they both exclaimed. “Are you alright?” asked Michael. They both had worried looks on their faces.

“Guys relax I’m fine.” he assured them.

Jeremy shouted, “You got stabbed Ryan!”

Ryan opened his mouth too reply but paused as the room started to spin. He managed to get out a weak grunt before everything faded to black.

\---

The first thing Ryan notices is the blinding white light in his eyes, the second thing is the sharp pain in his side as he takes an unsteady breath, and the third is the sound of muffled voices coming from all around him. The voices around him got clearer and the bright light moved away allowing his eyes to focus.

“See look it worked.” came a voice Ryan recognized as Gavin’s.

“No shit it worked!” yelled Michael. “You fucking opened his eyelid and shined a light in his eye until he woke up!”

“Yea, that’s like getting someone’s attention on the street by punching them in face!” agreed Jeremy.

“Uggh.” Groaned Ryan as he tried to sit up. “Do you guys ever shut up?” His throat hurt, and his voice was barely above a whisper. The lads were squashed together around him on the bed with Gavin taking up residence on his lap straddling his legs. They all turned their attention to him when he started talking.

“Ryan!” Gavin exclaimed and all of them moved in closer and proceeded to barraged with questions.

“Are you ok?”

“Who were those guys?”

“How’d it feel being stabbed?”

Jack enters the room and approaches the bed with a glass of water in his hand with Geoff right behind him. He hands the glass to Ryan who gulps it down like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted. “You guys are suffocating him” says Jack while crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yea, I’d hate the first thing I saw to be you idiots faces.” said Geoff.

Ryan sets the glass down on the side table. “What even happened?”

Jack shrugs, "Oh you know, you were being stupid and got yourself kidnapped and we had to come save your ass."

 _That's right._ Ryan grimaces when he remembers what caused this whole mess in the first place. "I'm sorry for all the trouble. The next time I go out I'll tell someone."

"You fucking better." Geoff’s stern look quickly melt into something softer and he places a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Look, Rye-bread, we're just glad you're ok." The rest of the crew nods along. Ryan smiles and opens his mouth to express his thanks but gets interrupted by a yawn.

"All right," Jack says "Let's let the man get some sleep." He starts to herd everyone out of the door. They all exit with a chorus of "Goodnight Ryan" and the last he hears is the door click shut before he drifts off with a warm feeling in his heart.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a couple years ago and never intended to post it but I was looking at it just sitting in a google doc and figured, why not? Thanks for reading:)


End file.
